Environmental sustainability in polycentric urban regions: an urban resilience perspective

Regional studies research examining the environmental impacts of polycentric urban structures is often called for, but remains scarce. This study uses urban resilience theory to conceptualise, methodologically specify and empirically assess the effects. We develop an evaluation system to establish a regional environmental sustainability index and apply it to urban regions across China. Gridded population datasets and inter-city co-patent data proxy morphological and functional polycentricity. Results show that morphological polycentricity positively impacts environmental sustainability, while functional polycentricity only positively affects public stewardship in environmental protection. Urban resilience attributes such as diversity and flexibility have uneven explanatory power on these dynamics.